How Our Server Withstood a 650 Gbps DDoS Attack Thanks to Our Firewall

In the digital age, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks have become a major concern for businesses and individuals hosting online services. These attacks can disrupt operations, cause downtime, and even expose security vulnerabilities. Recently, one of our clients, who was running a private server on our infrastructure, faced a massive 650 Gbps DDoS attack. Thanks to the robust firewall systems we had in place, we were able to mitigate the attack and keep the server online without compromising performance or security.

Here’s how we managed to withstand such a massive attack and the role our firewall played in safeguarding the server.

Understanding the Threat: What is a 650 Gbps DDoS Attack?

A DDoS attack is an attempt by malicious actors to overwhelm a server or network with an excessive amount of traffic, making it unavailable to legitimate users. These attacks typically involve large volumes of traffic sent from multiple sources, which flood the targeted server’s bandwidth, causing it to crash or significantly slow down.

A 650 Gbps (gigabits per second) attack is exceptionally large. For context, a typical high-speed internet connection is around 1 Gbps or less. A DDoS attack of 650 Gbps is designed to cripple even the most robust servers, overwhelming them with such immense traffic that they can’t keep up. This level of attack can knock entire data centers offline if not properly defended.

The Role of Our Firewall: First Line of Defense

Our firewall acted as the first line of defense in detecting and mitigating the attack. Here's how it protected the server:

1. Traffic Filtering and Scrubbing

One of the main features of our firewall is the ability to differentiate between legitimate traffic and malicious DDoS traffic. During the attack, the firewall immediately identified the abnormal traffic patterns and filtered out malicious packets, allowing only legitimate traffic to reach the server. This “scrubbing” process is essential in preventing the server from being overwhelmed while ensuring that genuine users can still access the services.

2. Rate Limiting and Load Balancing

Our firewall also implemented rate limiting, which caps the amount of traffic that can be sent to the server in a given time frame. This helped in throttling the flood of incoming requests and preventing the server from crashing. Additionally, load balancing mechanisms kicked in to distribute the legitimate traffic across multiple servers, ensuring the server maintained stable performance even under intense pressure.

3. Layered Security

The firewall provided multi-layered protection against different types of attacks. It was able to handle volumetric attacks, where the goal is to consume bandwidth, as well as more sophisticated application layer attacks that target specific services or applications on the server. The firewall analyzed traffic at both the network layer and the application layer, providing comprehensive defense against the attack.

4. Real-Time Monitoring and Response

As the attack unfolded, our firewall system provided real-time monitoring and adaptive response capabilities. This allowed us to track the evolution of the attack, adjust firewall rules, and apply additional countermeasures dynamically. This proactive response ensured that any attempts to bypass the initial defenses were thwarted as the attack changed tactics.

Why Our Firewall Was Able to Handle Such a Large Attack

There are several key reasons why our firewall was able to handle a 650 Gbps attack:

High Capacity and Scalability: Our firewall is designed to handle high volumes of traffic and can scale in real-time to absorb attacks of this magnitude. This ensures that even if attackers try to overwhelm the system, it can adapt and continue to protect the server.
Intelligent Traffic Analysis: The firewall is powered by advanced algorithms that analyze traffic patterns and detect anomalies. This allows it to quickly identify DDoS traffic and prevent it from reaching the server.
Integrated Threat Intelligence: Our firewall leverages global threat intelligence feeds to stay updated on the latest DDoS techniques and emerging threats. This helps us defend against even the most sophisticated attacks, as the firewall is constantly evolving and learning from new threats.
Automated Defense Mechanisms: One of the standout features of our firewall is its ability to automatically respond to threats without manual intervention. When the attack started, the firewall instantly deployed countermeasures, including IP blocking, rate limiting, and scrubbing, without any delay.

The Outcome: Zero Downtime and Full Protection

Thanks to our firewall's robust defense mechanisms, the private server faced zero downtime during the 650 Gbps DDoS attack. Our client was able to continue their operations without disruption, and there was no compromise in performance or data security. The attack, although large in scale, was effectively mitigated, and we were able to prevent any damage to the client’s server or infrastructure.

What This Means for Our Clients

Our ability to withstand such a large-scale attack demonstrates the strength and reliability of our infrastructure. For businesses that rely on uninterrupted uptime and need to protect their online assets from potential cyberattacks, our firewall offers:

Peace of Mind: Knowing that even the most severe attacks can be mitigated without affecting your business operations.
Security Assurance: A powerful and intelligent defense system that not only blocks attacks but also adapts to emerging threats.
Business Continuity: Our infrastructure is built to ensure that services remain online even under the most intense conditions, providing a seamless experience for your users.

Conclusion

In today’s digital world, the threat of DDoS attacks continues to grow, both in scale and complexity. However, with the right security measures in place, businesses can protect themselves from these attacks and continue their operations without interruption. Our recent experience with the 650 Gbps attack showcases the importance of having a powerful, adaptive firewall that can withstand even the largest DDoS threats.

If you’re running a private server or any critical online service, it’s essential to have the proper protection in place. With our advanced firewall solutions, you can ensure that your infrastructure is secure, no matter the size or scale of the attack. Stay protected, stay online, and let us handle the threats.